Educating women about the true nature of childbirth and exposing the damaging effects of over-medicalization on our society in hopes of changing the culture of childbirth in America forever.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

It's About Time...

It's about time that statistics on the risks of C-sections and the "too high" maternal mortality rate in the USA are getting a little national attention. In this article, about 2/3 of the way down, it highlights a report that found that too many women don't have access to more women-centered care like midwives and that too many medical interventions are being used during delivery! If only this one sentence could become commonly-used in our culture, we would see a huge improvement.

Also, note the reference to the recent NIH conference in Maryland where they discussed the dangers of the recent climb in c-sections across the country and the disturbing policy of many hospitals to not allow VBAC's (vaginal birth after cesarean). In other words, they require c-sections for any woman who had one previously. I'll be receiving the email with the final outcome of the conference and will post it, but it sounds like they made a lot of ground in the effort to prove such policies wrong and against a woman's right to give birth the way she wants.

1 comment:

YAY! Finally! And these are all unbiased sources, like Time, the NIH, and Amnesty International. I love that this is getting out there. It still drives me crazy when I talk to women here about when Ethan was born and not only are they amazed that anyone would go without an epidural, but they are literally shocked that I went into labor all by myself! My nurses during the delivery all asked me if I had been induced. It's too out of hand.

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A little about why we started this blog...

We are two sisters who decided to start this blog in order to reach more people in expressing our views and opinions about childbirth (specifically in the United States), to discuss current events surrounding childbirth in America and worldwide, and to expose the wrongs that occur in medicalized childbirth. We have approximately 14 years of combined personal research experience on the subject and are passionate about sharing what we have learned.

Though we are certainly supporters of natural childbirth and homebirth, this blog is for all women whether they choose natural or medicated birth, or home or hospital birth; and whether they have had good birth experiences or bad. Even if you feel very satisfied with your births in the past, you'd be surprised at what you're missing! We want to help educate people about what you won’t learn from most doctors or hospitals who are too focused on liability and their own opinions about your birth.

It has been surprising for us to see how many people in our “forward-thinking” society continue, generation after generation, to subscribe to the medical world’s view of childbirth. Because of this, too many women and babies are robbed of a more joyful and fulfilling birth experience and in some cases, experience unnecessary pain and distress during birth. This should not happen-and we believe it can be changed.